Ladies Love Lawmen: When It's A Matter of The Heart or Death...

by D'Ann Lindun

“Yeah, a few times.”

  “I want to talk to Lisa,” Jamie said. “I’ll go see her later.”

  “Did you ever talk to Kate while you were at the bar?” Austin pinned Tad with a cold stare.

  “No.” Tad stared back, his bruised chin jutted out. “She wasn’t my type. Too old for me, for one thing. Too much into horses and cows, for another.”

  “What kind of girl do you like?” Austin challenged. “In real life, I mean? Not your computer friends?”

  A scarlet flush raced up Tad’s neck and face. “Fuck you, Varner.”

  “We already covered that.” Austin grinned like a wolf. “Not interested. No matter how many times you keep offering.”

  The rest of the team stared at the by-play in open-mouthed shock.

  Jamie swiveled her head between them. She could almost cut the antagonism with a knife. “What’s—”

  “I’m just asking if you actually ever go on a date, you know, with a woman and not yourself.” Austin ginned, but there was no humor in it. “Rosie, for instance? Mark Boyd told me she was pretty fast and loose with her favors. You one of those she bestowed her charms upon?”

  If possible, Tad’s face turned a deeper shade of red. “Hell no! I don’t screw whores.”

  “We covered this,” Jamie said sharply. How had she lost control of her meeting? Both men ignored her, continuing to glare across the table at one another. She’d seen bulls square off with less intensity.

  Without looking at her, Austin said, “The night Rosie White went missing, our good deputy Tad was at the bar. Something he neglected to mention.”

  Tad opened and closed his mouth like a trout fighting for water. “So what? I went out. I didn’t see or talk to Rosie.”

  “You didn’t see her? She was waiting tables that night.” Austin drummed his fingers on the table, loud in the sudden silence.

  “She wasn’t my waitress. Mine was the blonde. Her name’s Misty-something. Ask her.”

  “I’ll be checking it out,” Austin said.

  “You do that.” Tad jutted out his chin. “Since when did I become the suspect?”

  “You’re not. We’re just curious why you didn’t mention this sooner?” Jamie refused to show confusion.

  “Because it wasn’t relevant.” He looked around the room like a trapped animal, desperate for an escape.

  “Is there anything else about that night you’ve neglected to mention?” Jamie’s voice turned frosty as she glanced around the table. “Is there anything else any of you have forgotten to tell me?”

  Everyone shook their heads.

  Tad stared at the table as if he wished it would swallow him whole.

  Jamie cleared her throat. “If the same guy who snatched the missing women killed Kate, things are escalating quickly. We have to stop this person immediately.”

  Daralee’s eyes grew wide. “You don’t think we could have two killers, do you?”

  “I don’t know,” Jamie admitted. “What do you think, Agent Varner?”

  “It’s unlikely,” Austin said. “But anything’s possible.”

  “That’s your expert profiling?” Benny Torres spoke for the first time.

  “I’m not a profiler.” Austin’s gray eyes narrowed. “But I will ask someone in my office to do some checking. I’ll also ask them to do some digging around on Kate Hollenbreck. See if there’s anything we’re not aware of.”

  Benny smirked. “Why? It’s not like she was a career criminal or something.”

  “Maybe not, but maybe there’s something that can give us a clue to go on.”

  “Have they dug up anything on any of the others?” Jamie asked.

  Austin’s lips tightened. “No.”

  Tad snorted. “So much for the CBI being so great and powerful.”

  “We’re not infallible,” Austin said. “But I’m what you’ve got.”

  Jamie’s gaze shot around the room, to each of her team. “We’re lucky to have Agent Varner. We don’t have any evidence of a serial killer, and to get him here I really had to plead with his boss to let him come help.”

  Austin changed the subject. “Does anyone have any theories on why somebody would want Kate Hollenbreck dead?” He waited, but no one spoke. “I thought she might have had cocaine on her upper lip when she died. Do any of you know if she had a drug problem?”

  “Not to my knowledge, but we weren’t close,” Daralee said.

  The others shook their heads.

  “Is there a big drug problem in Confluence?”

  “Pot,” Daralee said. “Mostly high school kids, but a few dropouts. And now that it’s legal in Colorado, more people possess it. But not a lot of coke or meth.”

  “We busted an illegal with several kilos of coke in the trunk of his car a few months ago.” Jinx glanced at Benny. “Remember?”

  “Yeah.” Benny nodded. “Right.”

  Austin sat up straighter. “Was this person prosecuted?”

  “No. Deported. Mexico wanted him back, so a deal was struck with them.” Jinx rubbed his chin. “I don’t recall the fella’s name. Do you, Benny?”

  “No.”

  “Could you look it up, please?” Jamie asked.

  “I don’t see how it matters,” Benny said.

  She gave him a hard stare. “It might be a link. Do as I ask, please.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He stood. “I’ll have to look in the computer.”

  “Ask Hattie to do it and come back with that name.”

  They waited until Benny returned a few minutes later with a piece of paper. He read from it. “Tomas Viejo. Age twenty-four. Originally from Mexico City, Mexico. We arrested him on June twenty-second and he was deported back to Mexico by the end of the month. That was the end of it from our perspective.”

  Austin made a note. “I’ll ask my office to run his name.”

  “Why?” Tad challenged. “That’s over and done with. Shouldn’t we be looking for someone actually here?”

  “He may have had a contact in the area,” Austin said.

  Benny frowned. “Or he could have just been passing through.”

  “True, but no point leaving a stone unturned, is there?” Jamie looked at Austin. “Thank you for all your help with this. Our office simply isn’t equipped to handle drug runners and serial killers, if there is one. We’re a tiny town with a very limited budget.”

  He nodded. “I understand.”

  She gathered her notes. “If no one else has anything to add, let’s break this up. I’m going to talk to Lisa. Agent, are you still planning on going to see Doc about the autopsy?” At his nod, she continued. “The rest of you keep looking. If you find out anything, please let me know ASAP. That’ll be all for now. Thanks.”

  Everyone reached for their hats, stood and scattered.

  Except Austin.

  She waited for his criticism. It didn’t come. Instead, he said, “Carver, maybe Torres, are both hiding something.”

  “Like what?”

  “I don’t know, but why didn’t Carver come clean about the night Rosie went missing? And why is Torres so determined I don’t follow up on the coke bust?”

  “Are all CBI agents so suspicious?” Jamie asked.

  “It’s why we get paid the big bucks,” he shot back.

  As she passed him, she said, “I don’t make that much, but I think you’re right.”

  ~*~

  Austin slipped outside and walked to the parking lot. He climbed into his truck and started the engine. The AC began sending cool air his way as he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed. After a few rings, Brooke picked up.

  “DeWitte here.”

  “It’s Varner.” He turned down the knob on the AC. “There’s been a murder.” He filled her in. “I think there might be drugs involved with this one. I’m waiting for the coroner’s report, but I think the victim may have had cocaine on her face.”

  In her usual unflappable way, Brooke asked, “What else leads you to believe this? Did you find any
sign of a train, or coyotes?”

  He sighed. “No. But I think the land where the victim was found might be the key. I’ll go out there tomorrow and take a look.”

  “What about the girls? Any new leads?”

  “No,” Austin said. “Nothing. It’s like they were all beamed up.”

  “Any connection between them and this murder today?”

  “Not on the surface, but we need to do some digging.” Austin sighed. “I’m certain we have a serial killer on the loose now.”

  “Are you asking for more agents? A team? With no clues, there’s not really any way I can justify the expense. And if you don’t find some leads soon, I’m going to have to pull you, too. This sheriff needs to dig a little deeper. Give me something to work with.”

  “Jamie’s doing her best.” Austin defended her.

  “Jamie?” In his mind’s eye, Austin could see Brooke’s thin eyebrows arched in question.

  “Sheriff English,” he corrected quickly. “Will you run a background check on some people for me?”

  “Of course. Who am I looking at?”

  He sighed. “Tad Carver. He’s one of the deputies here.”

  She paused and he could hear the surprise in her voice. “A deputy?”

  “Yeah. Something about him is off. Also a Kate Hollenbreck. See if she has any connection to drugs, specifically coke.”

  “That all?”

  “One more. A drug runner named Tomas Viejo. He was arrested here, but deported back to Mexico. He was caught with cocaine.”

  “Got it. I’ll let you know as soon as I learn anything. Keep me posted, too.” Brooke disconnected the call.

  Austin placed his phone in the front pocket of his jeans, deep in thought. Although he’d been sent here to help Jamie’s office find a serial killer, he’d had no luck, and a woman had died on his watch. Damn. He’d better do a better job.

  He turned off his truck, intending to go back inside, when the rest of the team walked out the front door. Apparently, Jamie was calling it a day. He glanced at his phone. 5:15 p.m. Damn, where had the hours gone? Hadn’t it been 8:00 a.m. just a few minutes ago?

  Daralee slid between his truck and her compact. He rolled down his window. “Are you going home?”

  She jumped, then grinned sheepishly. “Oh, hi, Agent. You startled me. Yes, Sheriff English said we’d get an early start tomorrow.”

  “Be careful,” Austin said and she nodded grimly.

  “I will.” She climbed inside her little car and drove out of the employee parking lot, turning left onto Main.

  Hattie came out with Jinx, and he waited until she got in her older model sedan and drove away before he turned toward his own pickup. A murder in their small town had the women frightened. Even the cops.

  One by one, the team left. All but Jamie. What was she doing? He ought to just go. Watching her wasn’t his responsibility. But he couldn’t leave her alone with Carver lurking around. With a half growl, he got out of his truck and headed inside the building. His steps made little noise as he crossed the empty building and walked upstairs.

  Jamie’s office door was ajar. He paused a moment before knocking lightly. “Sheriff? You there?”

  “Come in.” She had her back turned to him. For a minute, she didn’t spin her chair around to face him. When she did, he could see she’d been crying. Her nose was pink and her eyes red-rimmed. His heart pinched in an unwilling fold of sympathy.

  He spoke harsher than he meant to. “What’s wrong?”

  “I thought I was alone.”

  “No.” He waited.

  “I found a friend murdered today. I’ve held it together in front of you, Doc and the EMTs, my staff ...When I thought I was by myself I cried.” She reached for a tissue from a box on her desk. “I wanted to cry here, now, before I go to my mom’s house to see Dani. Satisfied?”

  “You did a good job today.” He wished he could take the words back as soon as they left his mouth. The last thing he needed or wanted was a young woman leaning on him, or looking to him for encouragement. Marisol had done so…and ended up dead.

  “Thanks.” She threw her wadded tissue in the trash can near her desk and stood. “I have to pick up Dani before I go home.”

  “What do you have planned for tomorrow?”

  She put on her white Stetson and straightened it. “I’m not certain. Why?”

  He held the door for her. She stepped through and they walked downstairs together. “I’d like to take a drive out to where we found the victim today and see if I can follow that second set of tracks.”

  She stopped at the thick paned doors leading outside. “You can, but you won’t get far.”

  “Why not?”

  She was so close he could see the sky blue of her eyes and the darker ring around them. “Because that area gets really rough in about a mile from where we—” her slender throat worked “—found Kate. You need a horse to go further.”

  “You have a couple,” he suggested.

  “I do, but you’re not taking one of them.” She stepped through the door. “Without me.”

  Following her to her truck, he said, “Why not?”

  At her pickup, she turned toward him. “Because one of them is Dani’s, and the other is my rope horse, and I don’t loan them out.”

  “This is a murder investigation,” he reminded her.

  She opened the door. “I didn’t say you couldn’t ride Dani’s horse. I said you couldn’t take him without me. I’ll go with you. Meet me at the house by nine. Bring a lunch. It’ll be a long day.”

  Before he could tell her no, she jumped into her truck seat and drove off, leaving him standing in the parking lot looking after her with a reluctant smile on his face.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Rae took one look at Jamie’s face and insisted she and Dani stay for supper. She fed them pot roast and homemade bread brought home from the diner. She didn’t pry about the investigation, for which Jamie was grateful. Already the local newspaper had gotten wind of Kate’s death and printed a story about it. Jamie has refused to comment until she knew more, but the journalist wasn’t holding back, claiming she knew all the details about Kate’s murder, citing unnamed sources.

  Who had talked? Doc? Unlikely. One of her staff? Her mind leapt to Tad, but she cut that off. There was no proof and just because she didn’t like him, didn’t make him a bad cop.

  Dani chattered about her day and Jamie listened with half an ear, her mind on the day past. She wished she could shake the image of Kate’s broken and bruised body, but she knew it would be a long time before the picture faded.

  “Mommy?” Dani was staring at her, holding her fork like a weapon. “Are you coming to my game tomorrow night?”

  Dani’s first soccer game. She had looked forward to it for weeks. Jamie forced a tired smile. Hopefully, they would be back from the crime scene in time. “Sure, baby. I wouldn’t miss it.”

  Satisfied, Dani finally dug into her meal.

  Rae got up and fetched an apple pie from the kitchen. She also carried a bucket of vanilla bean ice cream. “Who wants dessert?”

  Jamie groaned. “None for me, Mom. I’m stuffed.”

  “You’re a toothpick.” In Rae’s opinion, anyone who passed up dessert should have their head examined. Although she was petite, slender, with the figure of a young boy.

  “I take after you, Mom.”

  Dani licked her lips as Rae cut her a piece of pie and ladled a bit of ice cream on it. “Do I take after you, Mommy?”

  “Yes, you do,” Jamie assured her.

  “But not my daddy?” Dani dug into her treat as she waited for Jamie’s answer.

  Jamie’s stomach clenched. Lately, Dani had wanted to know more about her father, asking questions Jamie wasn’t prepared for. She looked helplessly between her daughter and her mom. Rae kept her gaze on her dessert. If Jamie’s parents had their way, Lance would be strung up in the town park and his body left to rot. “No, not so much.”

&nb
sp; “Oh.” Apparently satisfied, Dani concentrated on her pie.

  After dinner, Dani went into the living room to play, while Jamie and her mom stayed in the kitchen. Jamie poured herself a cup of coffee and leaned against the counter while Rae filled the sink with hot water.

  “You going to tell me what’s wrong?” Rae asked.

  Jamie set her cup aside and turned to rinse and stow the dishes in the drainer. “I can’t say much, Mom, but Kate Hollenbreck was found dead today. Probably murdered.”

  Rae’s eyes grew round. “Oh, honey. That’s awful.”

  Jamie nodded. “I know.”

  Rae’s soap covered hands shook. “What’s happening to our little town?”

  “I don’t know, but I have to figure it out fast.” Jamie placed another plate in the drainer. “Before anyone else dies.”

  “You can do it,” Rae said. “I have faith in you.”

  “I’m glad someone does.” She turned to face her mother. “Because I’m not sure I do. When I became a small-town cop, I expected speeding tickets, a few drunk and disorderlies at the rodeo. But not missing women and murders. I wish Daddy could help me.”

  Rae dried her hands and embraced Jamie. “Oh, sweetheart.”

  For a minute, Jamie let her mom comfort her, then she pulled away. “I have to ride up to the White Forest tomorrow with Agent Varner. Can you keep Dani again?”

  “Of course. Don’t even worry about her.”

  “I need to hire a sitter,” Jamie said. “You’re too busy to have her every day.”

  “Nonsense. The girls can help keep an eye on her for me if things get too busy. Having her around helps keep my mind off Daddy.”

  “Do the doctors think he’s improving?”

  Rae bit her lip. “Not so much. His brain has swelled more than they like.”

  “I know he’ll recover. He has to.” Jamie hugged Rae again. “I’m beat. I need to get home and get Dani to bed.”

  “She can stay here,” Rae offered.

  “You said you were going to see Daddy. Do you want Dani with you at the hospital?”

  “Absolutely. I’m sure he hears her voice and it gives him something to look forward to.”

  “Thanks, that helps. Give Daddy my love and tell him I’ll see him soon.” Jamie put on her Stetson. “Mom, be careful, okay? Tell the girls at the café not to go anywhere alone until we get this thing solved. And you don’t either.”